


all i really want is to be your(s)

by rare_cat_meme



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 2000s nostalgia extravaganza, Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Humor, I love my boys, M/M, Serenading, The Author Regrets Nothing, bad handwriting, guitar club, idk - Freeform, lumark besties, renjun is painfully emo, sneaky hand holding, teen cause mark lee says fuck, yukhei is fucking whipped, yukhei is too nice for his own good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rare_cat_meme/pseuds/rare_cat_meme
Summary: xuxi_is_cool_99you gave me a bible verse instead of one of the bands renjun likes :(are you implying i need jesus?or Yukhei is sure Renjun is the last good thing about this part of town.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 41
Kudos: 140





	all i really want is to be your(s)

**Author's Note:**

> someone put me in jail

Yukhei has always been an outgoing person. He likes talking, hearing others thoughts, connecting with different people and moving in between different circles. People generally like him, he’s not too hot, not too cold, he’s just Yukhei and that’s how he wants to remain as. Or he  _ did _ , until his senior year, when he spotted who he now considers to be the love of his (very short and not very lived yet) life.

You see, junior Huang Renjun came along and destroyed any notions Yukhei lived by. He’s tiny, always decked in black and some kind of graphic tee with a band Yukhei doesn’t know. His hair is always colorful — currently electric blue — and he tries as much as he can to remain unnoticed. He pays no attention to Yukhei’s shenanigans, he’s in none of Yukhei’s friend groups, he spends his time at school in his own little world with the other friends that he apparently has (Yukhei has never seen them). Or at least that’s what Mark told him. And this is the one time he trusts Mark, because he’s in the guitar club with Renjun.

Yukhei has been fascinated with the tiny boy for the longest time, but nothing he does can get his attention and he doesn’t seem particularly keen on befriending Yukhei either. So he has to make do with his resources.

☂

Mark thinks it’s a terrible idea, but Mark is dumb. Like intelligent-dumb people, class-smart but not street-smart. Yukhei’s plan is simple and brilliant. He tells Mark he wants to join the guitar club. Logic dictates friends have similar interests, so if Yukhei wants to get closer, he needs to share something in common with Renjun.

Kun is the guitar teacher. He’s suspiciously young to be teaching high schoolers, and Yukhei wonders why would anyone leave school only to voluntarily return right away, but he guesses it’s a side hustle for Kun to pay for his law degree. Regardless, Yukhei likes him because he’s very patient, even when Yukhei tells him he’s there for Renjun and Renjun only.

“Okay, but if you want his attention, you’re going to need to play something he likes,” Kun explains.  _ God, he’s too good for Yukhei, an absolute mad lad. _ “Mark knows the bands he likes, just ask him.”

Yukhei nods excitedly as Kun passes him one of the guitars.

“You’re lucky I like you,” Kun warns, but his eyes are totally soft, “and that I think you and Renjun would be really cute together.”

Yukhei is giddy the whole bus ride home, clutching the guitar case tightly. He’s got Kun’s approval. Mark really is dumb.

☂

The next three days are filled with anxiety and excitement. Yukhei spends his time at home familiarizing himself with the guitar. At first it’s a little awkward, he doesn’t really get how he’s supposed to hold the neck and do the chords. Then comes the strumming, his hands cramp alot. He complains to Mark over MSN and only gets ‘i told you so’ as a response.

At school, Yukhei daydreams about getting his chance to get closer to Renjun. Mark tells him once a month Kun makes some of the club members perform in front of everyone to “help them overcome stage fright”. Yukhei huffs, fear _ , pathetic. _

“Maybe you’ll get the chance to hear Renjun,” Mark adds as he pulls his bag of cut up apples, “Whenever he performs he sings too.” Yukhei stops chewing his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Renjun sings?” he asks mildly starstruck. The only words he’s ever heard Renjun utter were  _ ‘thank you’ _ after he picked up Renjun’s moomin keychain from the floor on the first week of class. His voice was quiet and soft and Yukhei might die if he sounds like that when sings.

“Yeah, he’s really good,” Mark carries on, unaware Yukhei is screaming internally, “He makes those really angry songs sound like lullabies. Except the lyrics are really depressing. Or horny.”

Yukhei chokes on his sandwich.

☂

The day finally comes and Yukhei is buzzing. He makes sure to wear a nicer looking outfit and comb his hair back so it won’t get in his eyes while he plays. His mom is a bit confused when he comes down for breakfast ten minutes earlier than usual, with the guitar case already hanging from his back. She doesn’t question him, waving him off at the door with a smile. He practically skips inside school, making Mark embarrassed of walking beside him.

And then it’s time.

“Hi kids, hope your week was good,” Kun says as the group walks into the class. He waits until everyone is sat in the circle of chairs. “We’ve got a new member, please welcome Yukhei.”

There’s a few muffled ‘hellos’ and ‘hi’ as Yukhei waves around with his signature friendly smile. When he locks eyes with Renjun he shoots a wink, making Renjun look away, with pink cheeks. Beside him, Mark shakes his head in disappointment.

“Alright, is everyone tuned?”

His first class is not very productive, Yukhei is still a baby in the guitar world so he needs a lot of practice, but it’s hard focusing when Renjun is across from him extremely focused on his music sheet. His bangs are long and keep falling on his eyes, making Renjun huff quietly as he pauses to pull the blue strands off his face. Yukhei makes a note to bring him a pin.

“That was really good, I’ll see you next week!” Kun concludes, “Don’t forget to practice!”

Renjun is the first one out the door and Yukhei feels sad for not having a chance of striking a conversation. He does, however, notice a sheet still on the standee Renjun was using, it can’t be. Grabbing it, he runs out the classroom in hopes of finding the owner. No luck.

It’s only on the bus home that he takes time to observe the blessed paper. It’s a normal music sheet, except it’s very scribbled and doodled. Renjun’s handwriting is very neat and pretty which contrast with some very dark themed doodles. There’s some english writings Yukhei suspects may be lyrics, but he’ll have to ask Mark later to translate. He keeps the paper neatly inside his notebook and dreams of pretty cursive poems being written in his own sheets.

☂

He brings the music sheet to class and spend the entire period memorizing every single detail of it enamoured, finally remembering to ask Mark for some enlightenment in the last 10 minutes.

“This does sound like lyrics,” Mark notes, carefully analyzing Renjun black gel pen creations. He pauses for a moment and crosses himself.

“What?” Yukhei asks confused.

“ _ Mama we all got hell _ , Yukhei your crush is into satan?”

Yukhei shrugs.

“Don’t judge other people’s choices,” he says mindlessly, picking up the sheet from Mark’s hands, “Anything else I should know? Renjun is probably gonna be at the cafeteria.”

“Uh,” Mark stammers dumbly, “May- Nevermind, no, you can go.” He shoos Yukhei away, closing his notebook and putting his pens and pencil inside his pencil case. Yukhei nods, practically running out of the classroom. He’s stopped by a teacher telling him to not run in the halls on the way, but that doesn't deter him.

He spots Renjun immediately, sitting on a table at the corner alone with his notebook. He takes a deep breath and walks casually to him. Renjun seems to feel observed, looking up at Yukhei, face going from confused, mildly scared and then just red.

“Hi Renjun!” Yukhei says, hoping his million watt smile makes even the tiniest dent in Renjun’s thick walls, “Yesterday you left this in class,” he sets the paper carefully on Renjun’s table. “Cool song, by the way,” he winks, having no idea of what song it is.

“Oh, thank you,” Renjun answers very quietly, looking at his paper as if it’s an alien, “I didn’t know you liked Bring Me The Horizon.”

“They’re great!” he carries on, hands starting to sweat.

“I can send you the sheet if you’d like,” Renjun suggests timidly, “Do you have MSN?”

Yukhei thanks all gods, saints and entities for allowing him to lie. It’s innocent, he will learn what the hell Bring Me The Horizon is for Renjun if he has to.

“Yeah, I’d love that,” he smiles widely, “Do you have a pen?”

Later at home, when he sits down on his desk and sees the new request, his heartbeat picks up intensely and he feels like giggling uncontrollably. Emoomin_00 wants to send you a message. Renjun is so cute, Yukhei is going to squish him one day, he thinks as he accepts the request. His display picture is an edit of moomin with with dark blue bangs and heavy black eyeliner and his status seems to be lyrics: _ i’ll burn your name into my throat, i’ll be the fire that will catch you. _ Wow, intense.

**emoomin_00**

hey, here’s the sheet

bmth-can_u_feel_my_heart.pdf

also thanks again, i thought i had lost it

haha :D

Did Renjun just sent him a smile? And not just any smile, an open mouth one. Yukhei leans back on his chair, hand on his forehead to check if he’s having fever induced illusions. Nope, his temperature seems just fine.

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

no problem!

thanks :)

He doesn’t know how to continue the conversation, and Renjun doesn’t answer as well. Still, he tries to remain positive, baby steps. He shuts MSN off and opens google, trying not to lose focus. Before he goes to bed he sees that Renjun has changed his status: we can live like jack and sally if we want.

☂

That weekend he goes out alone with a quest. He asks his mom for help and she drops him off at her favorite cheap jewelry store with no questions but a very curious glance. Yukhei walks in confidently, but is soon overwhelmed by the sheer amount of sparkly bullshit. An employee stops by him, asking if he needs help, but he declines, venturing by himself closer to the shelfs.

After a long, long period of search, he stumbles upon what he’s out for: hairpins. But not just any kind. The one he choses is a skinny black one with a silver moon on one end. He happily hops to the counter to pay.

“Is it a gift?” the cashier asks with a smile. Yukhei nods enthusiastically. “What a lucky girl!” she continues, wrapping the pin in some colorful paper.

“It’s not for a girl,” Yukhei says with a smile, taking the little bag with him, “Many thanks!” The lady stares at him mildly surprised.

☂

The weekend flies by, anticipation building deep inside Yukhei’s chest. He practices more of the simple songs Kun recommended in an attempt to calm himself. Mark is offline both days, away on a family weekend, _ boring _ . On Monday he spends the day looking for the tiny head of blue, but finds none. He feels defeated as he enters his last class of the day. Mark, who’s sitting next to him, senses his upset mood.

“I was really excited,” Yukhei whines quietly, after explaining what he did during the weekend, “We exchanged MSN messages!” Mark’s eyes widen.

“Already? Wow, you didn’t even talk! What did you do?”

“I lied,” Yukhei announces and Mark deflates in his seat.

“Kids these days,” he mutters while shaking his head, “What did you talk about?”

“Uhm,” Yukhei stammers, “Well, actually, nothing. He just sent me the music sheet for that song.”

Mark slaps his own face.

“Do you even know what song it was?” Yukhei’s silence seems to be enough of an answer, “Oh my God, here, go fucking google this when you get home.” 

He grabs Yukhei’s notebook and hurriedly writes down something. Yukhei is too stunned at the fact that Mark actually swore in class to notice the teacher has stopped talking.

“I’m assuming you don’t want to tell us what’s more important than this class?” she says with a layer of anger that makes Yukhei shrink in his seat, “Detention. For both of you.”

☂

It’s not Yukhei’s first time in detention, neither is Mark’s, they’ve always been a chaotic duo. Entering the classroom, Yukhei is surprised to find Yeri, a kid he thinks is from freshman year and Renjun. He exchanges a look with Mark, who nods very not subtly towards Renjun. Yukhei nods back and makes his way to the back of the classroom, sitting next to the blue haired boy.

“Hey,” he says quietly as Renjun takes out one headphone, looking surprised, “What’s cracking?” Mark groans from his spot next to Yeri.

“Not much,” Renjun answers quietly, “What brought you here?”

“Talking during class,” Yukhei pulls out his notebook, “What about you?”

“Drawing in class,” Renjun mutters, seemingly a bit upset. His notebook is filled with intricate doodles and beautiful sketches. Yukhei thinks he spots a familiar face but Renjun’s arm is on the way. He’s offered a headphone. “Wanna listen?”

“Sure,” Yukhei whispers trying to be casual. His palms are sweaty when Renjun’s small hand brushes with his. He doesn’t recognize the song being played but it doesn’t bother him at all. Renjun returns to his notebook, adding more details to an already existing sketch. Yukhei does his homework at the same time, the both of them sitting together in a comfortable silence.

At some point he actually pays attention the lyrics,  _ Does a mullet make man? _ , Yukhei is inclined to say so as he looks at Renjun’s dark blue hair falling in his face. It clicks in his mind what he spent the day waiting for. He gently taps the hoodie covered shoulder.

“I have something for you,” he places the bundle of wrapping paper on the table. Renjun furrows his brows, but doesn’t say anything, carefully unfolding it. Yukhei is endeared by his delicate ways. Once he’s holding the hairpin, he actually looks at Yukhei, cheeks pink and eyes asking for an explanation.

“Your bangs, they fall a lot on your face when you play,” Yukhei offers, gesticulating widely, feeling a little nervous.

“Oh,” Renjun’s eyes are twinkling, “Thank you, you didn’t have to.” He opens the pin with maximum care, pushing the bangs sideways. The silver moon really stands out in the mess of blue. “How do I look?”

“Cute,” Yukhei doesn’t hesitate, “Very cute, oh my God.” He puts his hands in his heart and smiles. Renjun smiles back shyly, cheeks still pink.

The lyrics that play in the headphones seem appropriate:  _ ‘This world’s an ugly place, but you’re so beautiful to me’. _

☂

Yukhei arrives home late, exhausted but satisfied. Not only did he manage to woo Renjun with a gift, he also got to spend time with him. It’s a win win  _ (ha)  _ situation. His mom shakes her head with a hint of disapproval when he explains why he’s late, but her eyes soften when he tells her about the blue haired boy. They talk some more over dinner and before he calls it a night and goes to his room she pats his hair affectionally.

“You’re very sweet Xuxi, your charm will help you sweetheart, don’t worry.”

With his heart full, he retreats to his own space, hurriedly logging into MSN to tell Mark of his progress. Surprisingly there’s a message waiting for him already. From Renjun.

  
  


**emoomin_00**

hey, thanks for the pin

it’s really a game changer

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

hey!!!

no problem, i just saw it and thought of you

**emoomin_00**

you’re very kind :)

also thanks for keeping company today

if detention was always like this i would be there more often xD

His heart flutters and he grins widely.

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

honestly, same.

we probably shouldn’t aim to meet in detention haha

He ponders for a second, wondering if it’s too soon to suggest, but then remembers his brand is to have zero shame at any given moment, so with caution thrown out the window he types quickly.

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

if you want we can study together in the library

i’m always so late with my homework

**emoomin_00**

that’s actually a great idea.

we def should

His efforts pay off and Yukhei high fives himself, spirits high. He then remembers his original purpose when he turned on the computer: Mark’s note. His chat with Mark on MSN is opened for moral support.

Looking at Mark’s chicken scratch handwriting he types on google ‘peace deveil’. It brings him to a bible hub.

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

mark is this a prank?

**99_mlee**

no? what are you talking about?

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

you gave me a bible verse instead of one the bands renjun likes :(

are you implying i need jesus?

**99_mlee**

:0

i am not

but destiny is

what did you write?

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

what you told me

peace deveil

**99_mlee**

oh my god xuxi

it’s pierce the veil

It’s really Mark’s fault, he should probably go back to first grade to learn how to write. The new search finally gives him some juicy information. So, it’s a four dude group, cool.

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

do you think i’d look good with long hair?

**99_mlee**

no wtf

_ Okay, rude. _ Scrolling further, he finds a song,  _ King For A Day. _ There’s many things he expected, however, screaming into his headphones was not part of it. He rushes to lower the volume, heart rate through the roof and eyes wide in confusion, anxiety and above all, fear.

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

MARK

I’M SO SCARED

**99_mlee**

you just made me lose my game of minesweeper

:(

what?

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT RENJUN LISTENS TO?

**99_mlee**

of course i have

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

WHY

**99_mlee**

‘helps me feel less angry’

according to renjun

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

WHAT’S HE SO ANGRY ABOUT

**99_mlee**

i don’t know

life

art

school

his eyeliner smudging

Mark is not being helpful, so he carries on with his research. According to Mark, Renjun’s favourite band is  _ Pierce The Veil _ , but he likes a lot more. Google supplies more related content.

_ Sleeping with Sirens _ ,  _ A Day to Remember _ ,  _ Bring Me The Horizon _ ,  _ Black Veil Brides _ , and many  _ many _ more bands pass through Yukhei’s ears and all he can think about is screaming men. His plan was to find something he could use to potentially talk to Renjun about, but nothing seems to be within his reach. There’s too many bands, too many genres and subgenres and all the forums seem like another language full of Xs, numbers and other characters he’s never seen before. He feels exhausted and defeated. How can he speak to Renjun now? He’s not quite sure.

As he goes to bed, mind racing to connect dots he might’ve missed when emo bands scarred him for life, Yukhei thinks of the one thing he learned from the experience. It’s about self-expression, it’s about saying what you want without feeling the need for other people’s approval.

☂

The first time he meets Renjun at the library, Yukhei is so excited he drops his phone on the floor every time it buzzes. They plan to meet after lunch, since neither have afternoon classes. Equipped with his homework, an unwavering grin and a little something he hopes Renjun will like, Yukhei struts to the library. He finds the room mostly empty, only two guys sitting in one of the big tables playing some card game. Mentally high fiving himself, Yukhei occupies the best seat, a table for two by the window on the corner, tucked away from most of the library. He sets his stuff down, trying to find the perfect position to look like he’s not waiting for anyone as he waits for Renjun. Yukhei has a big brain, he promises.

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Renjun’s voice sounds from behind him.

“No problem!”

Yukhei has to put all his strength into not smiling as wide as he is before he turns to face Renjun. His cheeks hurt from grinning and as much as he knows he has a charming smile, he also knows it might come off as...too much, and the last thing he wants is to intimidate or creep out Renjun. With a bit more control, Yukhei turns around, finding a shy but sweet smile. They stare at each other for a second too long, Renjun breaking the eye contact and sitting across from Yukhei.

There’s no talking for the first thirty minutes, it’s study  _ Study _ time. At first he struggles to concentrate, but as soon as Renjun offers one of his headphone buds, Yukhei finds himself comfortably completing his homework, his foot marking the rhythm of each song. Renjun also seems to be doing school work when he takes a look. Yukhei watches for a second, fascinated by Renjun’s focused state. He’s wearing Yukhei’s hair pin, hair out of his face and showing his delicate features, his cute pointy nose (when will Yukhei bop it?), his high cheekbones and pink lips. He notices there’s a mark on his right hand. Without thinking, Yukhei reaches for it. Renjun freezes at the touch, looking up confused.

“Is it a bruise?” Yukhei asks, unware he startled Renjun.

“No, it’s a birthmark.”

He doesn’t remove his hand from Yukhei’s hold, who keeps inspecting.

“Your hand is so big,” Renjun notes, stretching fingers against Yukhei’s hand, making him compare their hands.

“Aw,” he says, unable to conjure a proper sentence as he witnesses first hand  _ (hA) _ how unbearably cute Renjun is. They giggle together for a hot second, a flush on Renjun’s cheeks and a bit of heat of Yukhei’s face. Going back to work in silence, they exchange a few looks for the remaining hour.

☂

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

MARk

**99_mlee**

what what

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

lksdjoijgeitu

**99_mlee**

(☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

this is SERIOUS

**99_mlee**

ok WHAT

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

ispenttheafternoonwithrenjun

**99_mlee**

(゜ロ゜)

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

STOP THE EMOTICONS

**99_mlee**

no

BUT WHAT U MEAN

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

AODJFORF

AT THE LIBRARY

**99_mlee**

dAMN BOI

( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉)

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

shut up

☂

It’s three weeks into the guitar club that Yukhei hears Renjun sing for the first time, and damn, the song he chooses only makes him fall deeper into his void of love for the boy. It feels like an outer body experience, if he’s honest.

“ _ In the car I just can’t wait, _ ” Renjun sings, strumming gently, “ _ To pick you up on our very first date. _ ” His voice is light and airy and the acoustic background only accentuates how delicate Renjun as a whole is. The lyrics send Yukhei’s heart into a frenzy. “ _ Is it cool if I hold your hand? Is it wrong if I think it’s lame to dance? _ ” Yes, 1000% cool, no, not at all, Yukhei answers in his head.

Everyone is watching with various degrees of interest. Yukhei is almost offended that no one seems as invested as him, but he guesses (and hopes) no one is as in love as he is. Kun has his proud parent smile, watching carefully all the hand positions and nodding along rhythmically.

Renjun, who’s usually a shy guy, preferring to lay low rather than stand out, seems to be in his best element. He’s looking mostly at his standee, following the music sheet (or so Yukhei thinks), but he looks at Yukhei just before singing the next verse.

“ _ When you smile, I melt inside. I’m not worth of a minute of your time, _ ” his voice lowers slightly but he doesn’t look away from Yukhei. “ _ I really wish it was only me and you, I’m jealous of everybody in the room. _ ”

There’s a special spark in that moment. In Yukhei’s heart there’s nothing but surprise, excitement, confusion and hope. As the song comes to an end, the class claps monotonously (except for Yukhei, obviously) and Kun ends the class, wishing everyone a great weekend. Renjun packs up really quickly, rushing to leave. Yukhei stops him just outside the classroom.

“That was-, that was so,” the words spill from his mouth. Renjun looks like a deer caught in headlights. Yukhei sighs. “Renjun, you’re amazing.” They stand there in silence, processing Yukhei’s words. Renjun is the first to break out of the bubble.

“Thank you Yukhei.”

When Yukhei gets home that evening, he immediately checks MSN, and sure enough, Renjun has changed his status:  _ ‘Fate fell short this time, your smile fades in the summer. Lace your hand in mine, I’ll leave when I wanna’. _

☂

They meet again at the library the next week, Yukhei has a history presentation to finish and sets up a meeting to which Renjun easily agrees. On the same spot as usual, Yukhei finds Renjun there first, desk occupied by a colorful array of pencils and an A4 block of thick paper.

“Hey,” Yukhei whisper yells, “what’s cracking?”

Renjun’s lips stretch in a tight smile, trying to keep quiet.

“Not much, just sketching,” he answers, voice raspy. Yukhei nods, pulling the chair to sit down.

They work in silence again, enjoying each other’s company. Besides the headphone Renjun offers him, Yukhei can hear the pencils on the paper, rhythmically scratching and contrasting with Renjun’s soft breaths. Yukhei’s struggling to produce anything worthy for his Baroque movement presentation, zoning out by staring at the window, thinking about how Velasquez paintings would be prettier if the main subjects had dark blue hair and piercing dark eyes.

“What are you working on?” Renjun’ voice breaks him out of his dazed status.

“Oh,” Yukhei stammers, “a presentation for history about the Baroque style.”

Renjun lifts his eyes from the page, a hint of curiosity and a cute excited smile on his lips.

“That’s very cool,” he answers, tone dripping in interest. Yukhei laughs nervously.

“Yeah, except I don’t really know shit”

Renjun’s eyes light up. He signals to Yukhei ti wait, as he gets up and walks to the bookshelf behind them. Yukhei’s brain blanks at he blinks at window watching mindlessly the students having a physical education class on the field. Next thing he knows, there’s a thick book being deposited just by his fingers.  _ Feisty. _ Renjun is smiling widely when he sits back down, this time right next to Yukhei.

“I got you,” he says with a wink, making Yukhei’s heart short circuit and all the blood rush to his face. _ Renjun wink? Renjun wink! RENJUN WINK. _

Ignoring his predicament, Renjun opens the huge book, flipping easily through the colorful pages that Yukhei sort of recognizes from his History teacher’s powerpoint. It stops in a picture of an overbearing church ceiling. Yukhei doesn’t like it, it’s too much, his eyes hurt, he honestly feels a little sick. He looks at Renjun instead, who’s almost vibrating in his seat. His insides feel warm and Yukhei can’t help but grin as well.

Trying no to make a huge comotion, Yukhei and Renjun make a complete powerpoint for Yukhei’s class, pictures, text, transitions and a full script. Renjun is a freaking genius, Yukhei concludes as he gets home, overwhelmed with happiness.

☂

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

mark

i’m……..in love

**99_mlee**

O_O

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

renjun helped me make the history presentation

he knows so much about art

and it's so cute

he gets this sparkly glint in his eyes

and his brows furrow cause he’s so focused

and he talks so eloquently

he moves his hands when the concepts are more complicated

and

(ಥ﹏ಥ)

**99_mlee**

who knew you had it in u

i’m so proud

(つ﹏⊂)

☂

It’s only a day later that Yukhei slams a copy of music sheet on top of the cafeteria’s table that he and Mark always sit in.

“Mark you gotta help me learn this song, please!”

Taking the sheet slowly, Mark inspects it carefully as he chews one his cut up piece of carrot. His brows furrow as he gets to the bottom of the page. His eyes move back to Yukhei and he kinda looks like he’s in pain.

“Are you sure you wanna do this song?” Mark says hesitantly, “I don’t know if Renjun is gonna vibe with this...”

“I vibe with it,” Yukhei answers, “And I want him to know I vibe with him. Emos do what they want, not what they think people will like.”

Mark nods slowly and then shrugs.

“Sure...”

☂

Yukhei spends two weeks mercifully dedicated to the cause. It needs to be perfect, for Renjun only the best. He practices at home every time he can, he learns all the complicated positions Mark showed him and deems it decent. Finally, he learns the lyrics properly, Renjun needs to understand the feelings he’s trying to convey.

Today is the big day, the guitar club is having the monthly presentations and Yukhei is buzzing. He feels slightly nervous, but the good kind. It’s no secret he’s overly confident in everything he does — including the things he’s well aware he sucks at. But who needs dignity anyway, right?

Yukhei is the first one to arrive to the music room. Not even goody-two-shoes Mark could beat him. He prepares everything thoroughly, tuning the guitar carefully, setting up the sheet Mark gave him with all the chords (his handwriting is awful) and finding the most comfortable position in the chair. Mark arrives just as he starts strumming to warm up his hands.

“You really put in the effort today,” he comments while scanning Yukhei’s attire. For this special occasion he pulled out the big guns: his special jade green pickle button up shirt, his nice not ripped (approved by his mom) black jeans and his scruffy black vans. Yukhei thinks he looks dapper. Mark, however, doesn’t seem very impressed. Whatever, he doesn’t want to date Mark anyway.

The people from the club start pouring in slowly. It’s only when he spots the familiar way too large hoodie and the pop of electric blue hair that he starts sweating. Kun is the last one to come in.

“Alright kiddos, is everyone ready to play?” he asks with a kind smile. There’s a general groan, typical of embarrassed teens that enter cardiac arrest at the thought of public performances. Yukhei puts his hand up and Kun nods.

“Can I go first?”

“Uh, yeah of course,” Kun answers with a hint of surprise. He too scans Yukhei’s attire and lets out a silent ‘Oh!’.

The room goes silent, looking at Yukhei expectantly. He coughs to clear his throat and assumes position. No one seems to recognize the first chords he strums — maybe they’re just uncultured, or maybe he’s just absolute garbage at playing guitar. The way Mark is staring at his fingers tells him the second one is more likely. It doesn’t matter, Yukhei carries on.

“Well woman the way the time cold I wanna be keepin' you warm,” he says imitating Sean Paul’s Jamaican accent. He stares directly at Renjun, who looks a mix of starstruck and confused. “I got the right temperature to shelter you from the storm.”

Yeri is shaking in her seat, probably bamboozled by Yukhei’s love confession (she’s laughing). Mark looks mildly impressed (at Yukhei’s lack of touch with reality). Kun looks disappointed, but not surprised.

“Oh lord, gal I got the right tactics to turn you on, and girl I,” Yukhei carries on unaffected by his peers. He’s only focused on Renjun. “Wanna be the Papa, You can be the Mom, oh oh!”

“Okay!” Kun almost yells out, interrupting the most romantic thing Yukhei has ever done. He tries not to huff too loudly. “That was...interesting Yukhei, but good job!” Kun pats Yukhei’s shoulder condescendingly. He mumbles a ‘thanks’ and Mark sends him a weak thumbs up from his seat. Renjun still looks frozen in time. Yukhei winks at him and he seems to break out of it, blinking slowly and his cheeks turn red.

The performances return to their usual schedule, but Yukhei zones out. Looking at Renjun, he finds him hunched over a notebook, writing furiously. He’s too far to see anything, but his curiosity is cut short when Renjun closes it quickly and looks around, turning bright red when he notices Yukhei is staring at him.

☂

**emoomin_00**

hey, just wanted to say

your performance today was cool

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

thanks! :D

i think you might’ve been the only one who like it

**emoomin_00**

well, then it’s everyone else’s loss

:-)

Yukhei smiles dumbly at the screen for a few minutes, enjoying the taste of success. So his efforts did work, take that Mark. He thinks for a second before responding, the conversation cannot die just yet.

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

hey, there’s a new annabelle movie coming out this weekend

mark bailed on me :(

would you like to go?

  
  


**emoomin_00**

i haven’t seen the last one

Yukhei’s heart sinks.

**emoomin_00**

i guess i’ll watch it in the next few days :P

so saturday?

☂

It feels like every single day drags itself just to make Yukhei’s waiting time more exasperating. He counts the days, the hours and the minutes, going from sitting at his desk and anxiously practicing playing guitar, to browsing some more bands Renjun possibly likes and annoying the shit out of Mark on MSN. Saturday arrives too late and too early. Yukhei’s is buzzing, but he’s also a bit scared. Sure, he sees Renjun everyday, but he still has little to no idea how he actually is in ’real life’.

"So, let me get this right," Renjun says, eyebrows furrowed as he reads the menu of the corner restaurant they're sitting in, "We’re going to watch a scary movie even though you said you hate getting scared?"

Yukhei almost misses the question for being distracted by staring into Renjun's face.

"Yeah, uh," he pauses for a second, “It’s for the art, you know, great filmmaking.”

"Okay," Renjun smiles shyly, his voice airy as if he is about to laugh, "what's good around here?"

_ 'You' _ , thinks Yukhei.

"They have a bomb ass pizza with crazy toppings."

Renjun out of school is almost the same as the one Yukhei sees monday to friday; short movements, avidly avoiding to be noticed by any human. He eats in small bites, like a hamster trying to save his food for a later time, Yukhei notes as he gulfs down his slices of pizza like chips. It crosses his mind Renjun might feel shy eating around people.

It all goes smoothly that afternoon, the meal is peaceful with a bit of banter and only a few silent moments Yukhei won't count as uncomfortable because they weren't. The movie is fine as well, Renjun and him share a bucket of popcorn, diplomatically set between the two of them. He watches Renjun out of the corner of his eye more than he'd like to admit, but it's impossible not to coo at the boy's focused gaze, a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose that Yukhei didn't know he had to wear. Maybe that's why he scrunches his face so often... At the end of the movie they walk together to the bus stop and talk about the movie, just a couple mindless thoughts. They part ways when Renjun's bus arrives, a shy wave from him and an awkward _ 'see you on monday!' _ choked out from Yukhei. Overall, a success.

**emoomin_00**

thanks for today, it was nice

it's been a while since i went to the movies with someone other than my best friend

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

thank u for coming with me :D

☂

After their (unofficial) date, Yukhei feels more confident about having a spot in Renjun’s heart. The rest of his weekend is spent longing for monday. That is until he comes back to school and finds Renjun with someone attached to his hip. At first he doesn't pay much attention, the new guy seeming just a new friend. Except the week passes and Renjun barely acknowledges him, shadowed by the kid - Jaemin, Yukhei learns in that week's guitar lesson. Na Jaemin, transferred from the high school from the southern district. Even Mark is bamboozled by this development.

“I’ve never seen him be so open with someone new,” he tells Yukhei.

“Who is even this guy, I’ve never seen him,” he tries his best not to sound whiny, but Mark’s raised brow tells him he’s not hiding it well.

“I think he might have lived here before,” Mark says with a shrug, “they probably already know each other.”

With no shame Yukhei full on whines, shoulders sagging and a pout blooming in his lips. Mark pats his back in sympathy. Back to square one, it seems.

☂

The first time Yukhei saw Na Jaemin, he has to admit he was a little enamoured by the warm smile and confident stride. Now, however, Yukhei is pissed because Jaemin is stealing his man. Well, Renjun is not his, but Yukhei has been doing so well in his quest to conquer the boy’s heart that it’s absolutely infuriating seen Renjun give Jaemin his cute smile. Damn him and his great smelling lunch.

Three weeks pass, Yukhei slowly loses hope, only a few words exchanged with Renjun at school — mostly hellos and goodbyes — and a few rejections of spending time together at the library via MSN, 'he didn't reject you, he just said he was already busy' Mark reminds him but Yukhei prefers being dramatic. He feels particularly demolished when he goes study in the brary with Mark and finds his preferred spot taken.

“Who pissed in your cornflakes?” Mark asks as he writes down a formula in his math notebook. They’re studying together at the library. So is Renjun, Jaemin and two more of his friends.

“Right behind you, don’t turn around,” Yukhei says as Mark turns around completely. So much for secrecy.

“What’s up with them?” Mark asks when he turns back, “They’re studying.”

“Na Jaemin,” Yukhei mutters quietly, pressing harder with his pencil, “The audacity, it's like he knew!” he exclaims, “That’s romance! And what did Na Jaemin do? Say hi, brought some dumb lunch box and is all over Renjun!”

Mark looks at him incredulous. Truly his best friend is the only person who understands him.

“Xuxi, I don’t think-,” Mark starts, but is interrupted by Yukhei’s huff.

“How dare you,” he picks up his books, throwing them into his bag, “I’m going to study at home. See you tomorrow.” He leaves feeling defeated, angry and mildly comprehending the appeal of screaming music.

Later that night, instead of opening MSN, Yukhei finds solace in a song. Somehow it’s absolutely perfect, it reflects exactly what he’s feeling. With a deep sigh he opens the music sheet for it, picking up his guitar.

☂

Yukhei doesn’t stay mad at Mark, how could he understand the concept of seeing the love of his life being taken away by the grubby hands of a smiling dumbass nicknamed Nana. Pathetic. Mark doesn’t ask questions, and Yukhei doesn’t explain anything. He does, however, have a plan, a pretty good one _ (he promises this one is good). _

As the next guitar lesson comes around, he asks Kun to perform. Somehow, after the Sean Paul fiasco, Kun agrees, adding he’s curious to see Yukhei’s progress. Once the entire class is sat down and waiting for the performances, Yukhei catches Renjun’s eyes, feeling a pull on his heart as he spots the hairpin he gave Renjun securing the rich blue strands. It hurts him enough to fuel his resolve even more. Damn, he’s really starting to understand these emo lead singers.

He starts playing and Renjun immediately has his mouth agape.

“ _ Where is you boy tonight, I hope he is a gentlemen, _ ” Yukhei almost feels like crying, “ _ Maybe he won’t find out what I know, you were the last good thing about this part of town. _ ” Renjun mouths along the words, not taking his eyes off Yukhei. He hopes to God Patrick Stump is with him to pass along the message.

Mark is listening intently with a proud smile spilling from his lips and his leg bobbing up and down to the beat.

“ _ You need him, I could be him, _ ” he continues, “ _ I could be an accident but I’m still trying and that’s more than I can say for him. _ ” Kun’s eyebrows are close to leaving face as Yukhei delivers the lines without breaking eye contact with Renjun.

As he researched for songs that could pass along how jealous he’s feeling, Yukhei was surprised to find Fall Out Boy fit perfectly and were emo but also not screaming. In the course of the days he practices _ ‘Where is your boy tonight?’ _ , Yukhei listens to more of their music to find he really likes them. And maybe that makes him even sadder, because Renjun likes them and when he finally found a thing they both enjoy, his world is falling apart.

“That was very good Yukhei, you’ve really improved,” Kun says with an encouraging pat on his back. The class groans in agreement, but there’s nothing that could help mend his heart.

For the rest of the class he sits slouched and stays souring in his spot. He doesn’t notice Renjun’s concerned and constant stares.

Later that night he notices a change in Renjun’s status: _ ‘I wanna hold your hand so tight I’m gonna break my wrist’. _

☂

**99_mlee**

xuxi

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

what

**99_mlee**

jaemin is not competition

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

how would you know :(

**99_mlee**

cause i’m going out with him

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

wait

WHAT

SINCE WHEN

**99_mlee**

like last week?

**xuxi_is_cool_99**

WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME

**99_mlee**

you’re kinda invested in romancing renjun

and idk

yeah

Pierce the Veil said it best:  _ ‘I’m just a stupid motherfucker, can’t figure it out’. _ Yukhei has the weekend to think about what Mark tells him. He feels confused and unsure of what he should do next. There was a point he almost thought Renjun was interested in him, but the whole Jaemin thing made him rethink it. If Jaemin and Mark are dating, is Renjun simply not interested?

On sunday he notices Renjun changes his status message, _ ‘that ultra kind of love you never walk away from’ _ . He changes his own to test a theory:  _ ‘you are the sun and i am just the planets, spinning around you.’ _

☂

The guitar club feels a bit like a war zone, and Yukhei is very aware it’s kind of his fault. Even after Mark told him Jaemin wasn’t after Renjun, he feels embarrassed to face the latter. Probably for the first time in his life, Yukhei wishes to be swallowed by the ground, entering class with his head low and refusing to look up from his strumming exercises. Kun greets him with a kind smile and a comforting pat on the back. As he sits down he notices Renjun’s usual seat is empty.

"Hey guys, hope everyone had a good weekend," Kun starts, his usual cheery tone feeling a bit off. His eyes are wondering about the room, almost as if he's avoiding Yukhei. "Today's class is going to start off a bit uh...different, by request."

Without any more words, Kun walks to the back of the class, turning off the front lights. The tiny stage that usually serves the choir is poorly illuminated and Yukhei almost chokes on his own saliva when Renjun walks on it, guitar strapped on his shoulder. He clears his throat and starts strumming, eyes locking on Yukhei. There's a strange tension between them, Yukhei's sure their classroom can feel it. When Renjun starts singing, Yukhei is surprised to, for once, recognizing the song.

" _ I was gonna say something that would solve all our problems, _ " he sings, more muted than what Yukhei is used to seeing. His heartbeat picks up as his mind starts supplying the lyrics of Wilson. Damn Fall Out Boy are his emotional support boys, it seems. Next to him, Mark is almost vibrating, one his hands grabbing Yukhei's jacket and pulling on it excitedly.

“ _ Don’t you know there’s nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody, _ ” Renjun’s sweet voice fills the room, Yukhei’s arm hair is standing up, “ _ than to be loved by everybody but you. _ ” _ Oh _ .

He zones out for a second, thinking about the implications of what Renjun is bringing to the table.

“ _ I always make such expensive mistakes, _ ” Renjun breaks him out of his bubble, when Yukhei looks at him again he tentatively smiles before singing, “ _ I know it’s just a number but you’re the 8th wonder. I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color. _ ”

Yukhei is dumbfounded as the performance is wrapped up. His brain is at maximum capacity, his brain cells working like the machinery of a train, yelling at each other as they throw coal in to the burner. There's no way Renjun chose that song just because,  _ right? _ Usually one to dive head first, Yukhei finds himself at an unknown crossroad for maybe the first time in his life. The signs are right in front of him but he's not sure how much he's trusting them, not because he thinks they are wrong, but because he's not sure he trusts himself.

Renjun packs up and promptly leaves. Yukhei tries to go after him but Mark pulls him back.

“Dude,” he says, gesticulating largely, “That was for you, that was for you!” Mark shakes Yukhei violently.

“Uh, yeah,” he answers dumbly, feeling his heartbeat pick up again and that giddy feeling spread across his cheeks. Mark looks two seconds away from squealing in delight.

“What do you mean 'yeah', what are you going to do?" Mark says, a few more violent shakes.

“I...Mark, I don't know," Yukhei answers with a heavy sigh, "I feel so lost."

Mark observes him for a second, a glint in his eyes.

"You like him, right? Like, really really like him?"

Yukhei nods, no hesitation.

"He clearly likes you. So, what's in the way?" Mark's tone is soft but imposing, forcing Yukhei to focus for a second. He opens his mouth to answer but closes it immediately. "That's what I thought. No more of your plans, I know exactly what you have to do."

Mark’s suggestion seems outrageous at first. It’s not emo at all and Yukhei, for a feeble moment, almost refuses, afraid this will push Renjun to finally reject him. But then he considers it for a while, listening to it and slowly getting into the vibe. It has all he needs, the lyrics, the groove, it’s way easier to play on the guitar and above all, he vibes with it. So back to practice he goes.

Mark enlists Jaemin to help him. Turns out Jaemin is an absolute angel and it's no wonder Mark is absolutely smitten. He knows a lot more than he lets on Renjun's character.

“It’s not my place to tell,” he answers honestly, and Yukhei respects it, giddy with the thought of growing closer to Renjun.

Kun's class is dismissed as the message delivery space. Yukhei agrees with the decision, there needs to be clear communication for once. The song choice however....he's not sure. Mark won't back down though.

"You're gonna kill this, it's made for you Xuxi," Mark promises, guitar in his lap as he idly strums the chords.

"But," Yukhei borderline whines, fingers sore from the long hours of practice (darn Mark Lee and his perfectionism kink), "isn't it...too forward? Are we not leaving space for subtext? Implicit messages?"

Mark squints at him, lips pressed together.

"No more subtext, society has progressed past the need for subtext."

☂

The full plan orchestration takes a full weekend, way too many hours of vocal lessons for Yukhei's taste, lots of tea to keep his throat healthy, one way too invasive visit from Mark and Jaemin to chose his outfit. Yukhei is standing in front of his closet, wearing a pair of jeans that he's not sure are too tight or too loose, a really obnoxiously colored checkered shirt and....a vest?

"I think his pants should be tighter, he needs more ass," Jaemin says, having lost all shame in record time of meeting Yukhei officially.

"He doesn't have ass," Mark says promptly.

"I'm right here," Yukhei huffs, feeling a bit like a doll in the hand of two 4 year olds, "Guys, I look ridiculous."

Mark and Jaemin observe him for a second before looking at each other, a silent conversation happening right in front of Yukhei. God he hates third wheeling.

"Do I really have to dress like them?" Yukhei whines, pouting in hopes of distracting one of them enough.

"Okay, what would you choose then?" Jaemin asks, stepping away from the closet as Yukhei comes forward.

His hand stretches out, fingers brushing against the different fabrics. Yukhei stops on the hidden leather jacket that's hidden away in the depths of his closet, a gift from his mother he hadn't has the courage to break out just yet. Perhaps this is the time.

"Oh," Jaemin gasps as Yukhei pulls it out, "That is perfect!"

"You had that on your closet and said nothing?" Mark sounds mildly offended.

"It's new," Yukhei sputters, a bit embarrassed. Mark doesn't look convinced, but drops the subject.

"Gentlemen, we're closing to finishing phase one," Jaemin announces, clapping his hands, "Now onto the hardest part," he pauses, "besides... _ you know. _ "

Mark and Yukhei nod.

☂

Turns out what they thought would be their biggest obstacle it's actually the easiest. Once again, Kun proves to be the strangest ally Yukhei could have encountered. He's more than happy to give him and Mark an extra key for the music room. One text and a half an hour walk to Kun's apartment are all the work.

"Are you sure?" Mark asks, stunned at how easy it was to convince Kun, "Are you like, not scared we are gonna rob the place?"

"School's not mine," Kun answers criptidly with a shrug and wink.

Well, goddamn. Yukhei and Mark exchange a look as the front door closes.

☂

D Day arrives quicker then Yukhei expects. He wakes up a whole hour before he need to, but it's impossible to go back to sleep when his heart is beating so fast and all he can think is the 5000 possible ways that his day can go to absolute shit. It's Monday, usually a slow school day, but fuck the school system, Yukhei guesses, as he and Mark walk in with a suspicious amount of bag besides their backpacks. A few students eye them, but most of them don't even spare a glance, more concerned with their personal lives - as they should be. They tactfully hide the bags in Mark's locker before running to class. Instead of lunch, Mark and Yukhei hide in the music room, setting up the premises led by one Na Jaemin. The remaining classes pass slowly, especially the last one, when Yukhei feels like the first scene of High School Musical 2, knocking his pencil to the beat of the of the class clock.

And suddenly, it’s time.

Standing in the music room by himself, Yukhei’s nerves start getting the best of him. He tries sorting the sheets in the stand, smoothing down his shirt, adjusting the stray side pieces of his hair, but it’s no use, his brain is short circuiting at the mere thought of _ Renjun.  _ Setting a chair in the middle of the room, he sits down and strums the guitar idly. His phone buzzes.

**mark** **  
** he’s on his way!!

Yukhei barely has a moment to process it when he hears the knob being turned and Renjun’s head pop in.

“Yukhei?” he questions, one brow furrowed and a confused pout.

Yukhei feels a chill run down his spine, but fights the nervousness by gesturing for Renjun to come in, pointing at the chair in front of him. He walks in, steps careful and calculated, sits down quietly and stares at scenery in front of him.

When Mark said no subtext, he _ meant  _ it. At first Yukhei was skeptical, but he’s definitely glad the decor speaks for itself. The fairly lights hanging above him (secured by tape), the yellow (Renjun’s favorite color!) rose petals around the chairs, the soft pink colored lamp pointed towards Yukhei and the admittedly stupid heart headband — but Yukhei’s still wearing it so that’s that. With a cough to clear his throat, Yukhei starts strumming slowly. Renjun’s eyes are glued on him.

“ Have you ever had the feeling you're drawn to someone? ” he starts singing, low and slower than the original. Bless Mark for making a Yukhei friendly version of Big Time Rush’s  _ Boyfriend _ , “And there isn’t anything they could’ve said or done?”

It takes a few verses but Renjun’s eyes let him know that he recognized the song. His face turns redder by the second, but his cheeks are sticking out as he tries not to grin too much. Yukhei’s nerves melt a bit, if anything Renjun is at least enjoying it. Swallowing his last piece of uncertainty, he prepares for the chorus.

“ That you're looking for a boyfriend, I see that, give me time you know I’m gonna be there, ” Yukhei is momentarily distracted by Renjun getting up from his spot, stepping closer to him, “ Don't be scared to come put your trust in me, can't you see all I really want to be is your... ”

Renjun’s hand touches his left hand gently and he stops playing.

“Boyfriend?” Renjun says, hand resting against Yukhei’s chin, pulling his face up gently so they can lock eyes.

Yukhei is stunned for a moment, but nods slowly, not daring to break eye contact as Renjun lips come closer and closer and  _ oh _ , they’re touching. It’s only a second, a hint of warmth and it’s gone. Renjun’s face is bright red, but he’s smiling, cheeks puffed up and a glint in his eye.

“So, will you be my boyfriend?” Yukhei asks, holding in his breath as he waits. Renjun pauses, bites his lip, looks to the side for a moment.

“Who’s your favourite in big time rush?”

“Logan,” Yukhei answers with no hesitation.

“Nice,” Renjun breaks into a toothy smile, “of course I’ll be your boyfriend.”

☂

Walking down the empty hallway holding hands with Renjun feels way better than he could have ever imagined. Yukhei’s cheeks are sore from how much he’s smiling, but he can’t help himself when Renjun’s tiny hand is slipped between his fingers, held tight as his thumb rub gently caresses Yukhei’s. They exit the building finding Mark and Jaemin expectantly waiting for them outside. Renjun squeezes his hand.

“Wait- were they in on this?” he freezes in his spot, his free hand coming up to cover his face.

Jaemin runs towards them, engulfing Renjun in a hug. Yukhei drops Renjun’s hand, watching amusedly as they exchange a quiet conversation he can’t quite make out.

“I can’t believe it worked,” Mark says as he approaches Yukhei, “I knew you could do it!”

Yukhei raises his brow at the two mismatched statements, but shrugs it off to grin at Mark instead.

“We can go on double dates now!”

Mark pretends to puke.

“No way, I bet you two are gonna be disgusting,” he turns to Jaemin, extending his hand, “C’mon Nana, let the newlyweds enjoy their first hours together in peace.”

Jaemin pouts, but let’s Renjun go as he takes Mark’s hand. 

“Message me later,” he tells Renjun as he wiggles his eyebrows, “all gross details included.”

Renjun hides himself behind Yukhei’s arm, groaning in embarrassment. As Mark drags away a cackling Jaemin, Yukhei’s brain zones out for a bit, overwhelmed with the amount of physical contact he has unlocked with Renjun. Not that he’s complaining.

“Hey,” he says, turning around, “can I walk you home?”

Renjun looks up to him, his smile never faltering.

“I’d like that.”

☂

  
  


“So, anyone is up for this month’s presentation?” Kun asks as soon as everyone is in their designated seat.

It’s been a couple of months since Yukhei has joined and he can proudly say his progress is through the roof, in all possible ways. Mark glances toward him, one brow raised as if defying him.  _ Oh Mark _ …

“Oh Yukhei,” Kun says, no hint of surprise whatsoever, “the stage is yours.”

Making his way to the center of class, he finds Renjun, winking as they lock eyes. He gets a silent giggle in return. Sitting in the chair, Yukhei props his guitar comfortably.

“This is  _ Any Kind of Guy _ by big time rush,” he announces, “and I want to dedicate it to Renjun.”

Mark groans loudly, a muffled _ ‘oh my god’ _ . 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> ngl i hate myself for this. when i was interning last year i couldn't unsee this image of yukhei covering sean paul's temperature on the guitar and i HAD to write it ,,,, n u had to read it i guess.
> 
> jail for all 99 liners  
> (that includes me)
> 
> all complains can be made here: [twt](https://twitter.com/ridikunlous) and [cc](https://curiouscat.me/ridikunlous)  
> also all songs mentioned can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1uuz9eWWnMwnjUNA0LMyA9?si=aBZ6a6oYQUa81jpzPh19lg)


End file.
